Radioactive material is used in numerous industries, the most well known being the nuclear power industry. The problems of safely disposing of high level nuclear waste are well known. However, there is also a need to safely dispose of low level nuclear waste materials, which can include such things as lab clothing, brooms, containers, drums, etc. which have been exposed to low level nuclear radiation. While the level of radioactivity in these materials is not of critical concern, the materials must still be disposed of properly, and the shear bulk and diversity of form that these materials take create significant problems in disposal.
One solution to the problem of low level nuclear waste has been to shred the materials into small pieces and then compact those pieces to a high density. Because these materials can range from cloth to steel, for example, both the shredder and compactor must be suitably constructed. Such units are available and commonly are capable of producing a bale of compacted material of predetermined dimensions and density.
Regulations require that the waste be contained within a suitable container. Thus, the compacted bale must be transferred from the shredder and compactor to the container. To minimize human contact with the bale, it would clearly be desirable to automate such a procedure as fully as possible. Furthermore, typical waste containers have multiple compartments separated by divider walls. Thus, it is necessary to position each compartment in the container in sequence to receive a bale.